DOJ won’t file charges against Edison over Woolsey Fire

The California Department of Justice will not file criminal charges against Southern California Edison over the 2018 Woolsey Fire, it announced Friday.

According to a news release from the agency, the fire burned 96,949 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. It also killed three people, destroyed 1,643 structures and forced nearly 300,000 people to evacuate. The department started an investigation with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Ventura County Fire Department.

"Based on that investigation, CADOJ has determined that there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution," the news release stated. "Officials from CADOJ have informed the families of the three individuals who perished in the fire of this decision."

Hueston Hennigan represented SCE in the investigation. "We are grateful that the investigation resulted in the just decision not to pursue criminal charges," said partner Andrew Walsh. "Southern California Edison will continue to focus its efforts on compensating fire victims through the civil process."

The investigation concluded the fire was caused by the company's equipment at up to two points. One was a loose wire, another due to "poor vegetation control near its communication conductor lines." However, the department determined there was "insufficient evidence" to bring charges under the Penal Code.

"Section 452 would require prosecutors to not only prove that Southern California Edison's equipment caused the fire, but also that the company was aware that its actions presented a substantial and unjustifiable risk of causing a fire, that it ignored this risk, and that doing so was a gross deviation from what a reasonable utility would have done in the same situation," the department said.

The company is also defending itself against thousands of civil plaintiffs in Los Angeles Superior County Court. Woolsey Fire cases, JCCP 5000.